


An Enigma

by sunken_ships (sunken__ships)



Series: write like you're running out of time [6]
Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Alex is the biggest Little Shit of All Time, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Burr is frustrated by Alex being a Little Shit, Gen, Present Tense, Rated T for language, also plz ignore the fact that it's a modern au but the Dinner Table Bargain is still happening, essentially The Room Where It Happens but like a more chill and lowkey version, they work in the government idk i didn't focus on that bit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-19
Updated: 2016-06-19
Packaged: 2018-07-15 22:55:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,229
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7242136
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunken__ships/pseuds/sunken_ships
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Inspired by the lyric: "Do whatever it takes to get my plan on the Congress floor."</p><p>Alexander Hamilton is always up to something. And right now, he's up to something big. But the problem is, Aaron doesn't know what it is.</p>
            </blockquote>





	An Enigma

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! So this was actually meant to be part two of a longer one-shot I wrote for this series, but I'm not sure if I want to upload it, because it's, well, a little more explicit than this one. But this still works on its own, so enjoy! xx
> 
> UPDATE: several months later, i gathered the guts to upload the more explicit one. so this is basically just burr's perspective on the events that transpire before and after the events in Love to Hate and Fucked My Way Up to the Top (which is Love to Hate, but from hamilton's POV).

**do whatever it takes to get my plan on the congress floor.**

 

     Aaron doesn’t often sit with Alexander at lunch. He doesn’t know why he ever does it at all. The guy doesn’t exactly make for great conversation – he almost always has his head buried in his laptop or his notebook, writing furiously about something or other.

     Aaron bites into his bagel, watching Alexander with mild interest. He has no idea what Alexander is writing about, and he’s not going to ask. He doesn’t want to get sucked into some endless lecture about some meaningless topic. He’s fine with just sitting in silence, for now.

     He frowns a little. “Are you gonna eat something, or…?”

     Alexander mutters to himself, face crumpled in concentration, and either doesn’t hear Aaron, or ignores him.

     Aaron sighs and sits back in his chair.

     “Not hungry,” Alexander says.

     Aaron accepts it. A late answer is better than no answer, he supposes. “You sure? You didn’t eat breakfast, either.”

     Alexander looks up sharply. “How do you know that?”

     Aaron gives him a look. “You told me. This morning. You saw my muffin, pointed at it, and said, ‘That looks good. I should eat something.’ And then you walked off.”

     Alexander stares at Aaron for a few seconds, and then shrugs. “Don’t remember.”

     Aaron doesn’t particularly care for Alexander, but he’s a decent human being, so he says, “Come on, man. Take care of yourself. You’re gonna wind up in hospital.”

     “I’ll eat later,” Alexander mumbles, already focusing back on his work.

     Aaron rolls his eyes. “Your funeral,” he mutters. A thought strikes him, and he sits forward again. “Hey, what are you gonna do about that debt plan of yours?”

     Alexander glances up at him for half a second, and then, apparently now properly registering what Aaron said to him, looks up properly. “My debt plan?”

     “Yeah. You know, the debt plan you’ve been going on about for ages?”

     “I know what you mean,” Alexander says, scowling a little. “What do you mean, what am I gonna do?”

     Aaron gestures vaguely. “You know it’s never gonna fly, right? No way is it going anywhere. So what are you going to do about it?”

     Alexander smiles. “Believe it or not, Burr, I have a plan. Inspired by you.”

     Aaron raises his eyebrows. “Inspired by me?”

     “Mm-hm.”

     “And what do you mean by that?”

     “Just do whatever it takes,” Alexander says simply, and Aaron has a good feeling it’s meant to be some kind of backhanded compliment, but he lets it slide.

     “Uh-huh,” he says, somewhat unconvinced. “I’ve never known you to do anything but whatever it takes.”

     Alexander nods, considering it. “Okay, that’s true. But I’m just tackling it sideways, instead of head-on. Like you do. ‘Talk less, smile more’. You know the story.” He chuckles at that, and Aaron smiles, a small, wry smile.

     “And what does this me-inspired plan of yours involve?”

     Alexander spreads his hands. “Ah, well. That’s on a need-to-know basis.”

     Aaron narrows his eyes at Alexander, mock-sceptically. “You’re not going to do anything illegal, are you, Alexander?”

     Alexander laughs. “No. But I will be getting my hands dirty.”

     Aaron purses his lips. He can’t help it, he’s damn curious. But he can’t let Alexander know that. So instead, he sits back, crosses his arms. “Well. Should be interesting.”

     Alexander snorts, and nods to himself. “I’ll say,” he mutters, turning back to his work.

     Aaron’s eye twitches. He’s dying to ask what Alexander means by that, but he doesn’t want to give Alexander the satisfaction. _You’ll find out eventually_ , he thinks. _Just wait it out_.

 

     A few weeks later, Aaron runs into Alexander and Thomas Jefferson, who are yelling at each other in the hallway. It feels as if they had been heading in different directions, but had been so distracted by each other’s idiocy that they’d had to stop to argue on the spot. Aaron doesn’t really listen – it’s not an unusual sight to see, and he can tell the argument has already deteriorated into shallow insults like _You’re so full of shit_ and _Go suck a dick, you fuckhead_. He squeezes between them with a slight, “’Scuse me,” and they completely ignore him. He doubts they even know he’s there.

     He passes Angelica Schuyler, a fellow senator, in the hallway, and she shakes her head. “They’ve been arguing about the same fucking thing all day,” she mutters. “It keeps going around in circles. They haven’t done anything else.”

     Aaron stops, and peeks over his shoulder at the two of them. Thomas just throws his hands in the air and storms off. Alexander glances in his direction, and if Aaron isn’t mistaken, he gives him a small smile. But there’s no time to double-check – Alexander whirls around, stalking after Thomas, the fight starting up again. “And another thing…”

     Angelica sighs. “Honestly. They’re children. It’s almost as if they enjoy it.”

 

     That afternoon, when it’s time for Aaron to head home, he finds Alexander munching on an apple, and takes a moment to think, _At least he’s eating something_ , before saying, “Weren’t you meant to go home, like, an hour ago?”

     Alexander glances at him over his laptop. “Mm,” he says vaguely. “Can’t. Have to stay.” He takes a bite of his apple. Aaron notices that he has a small pile of fruit beside him. Another apple, a mandarin, two bananas, and three oranges.

     “What’s all that for?”

     “Energy,” Alexander replies. “Gonna be a long night.”

     “Why is it all fruit?”

     “Only things in the break room that were free.”

     Aaron sighs. “Alexander, why don’t you just go home if you have more work to do?”

     Alexander looks at him, his eyes alive with humour. “There’s all kinds of work to be done, Burr. Not all of it can be done at home.” He takes another bite of his apple and slams his laptop shut, setting it on his desk. He snags an orange from the pile of fruit and all but skips from the room, tossing the apple core in the trash on his way. Aaron sees him take a deep breath in, and then he hollers, “Hey, Jefferson!” before disappearing down the hall.

     Aaron just shakes his head. “I will never understand that man,” he mutters to himself, and heads on home.

 

     He doesn’t ever find out what Alexander’s scheme was. All he knows is, a short while later, Alexander enters a meeting with Thomas Jefferson and James Madison – who he hates, and who hate him – and leaves the meeting with total control over a financial system that he created.

     Not only that, but he sees Thomas _smile_ at Alexander one other day. Not exactly a loving smile, or even a kind smile. Maybe more of a smirk, like Alexander had said something funny. But it’s the friendliest interaction that anyone has ever seen between them.

     When did _that_ happen?

     Aaron approaches Alexander one day – on their lunch break, no doubt – and sits down opposite him. “How did you do it?” he demands in a harsh whisper.

     Alexander stops typing, and looks up at him, a slow smile spreading on his lips. “I just used the gifts God gave me,” he says. He waggles his eyebrows, and then his focus is back on his laptop.

     Aaron makes a sound of frustration and stands up sharply, stalking from the room.

 _Dick_.

**Author's Note:**

> The-Room-Where-It-Happens Alexander is my favourite Alexander of the whole musical I love him and his cruel, manipulating ways


End file.
